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News at a GlanceThe HWFC Board of Directors met on Wednesday, January 22. Strategic planning Proposals were presented from two consultants who could help the Coop with strategic planning. A meeting to review these proposals was to be held the following week. Steps toward good strategic planning were noted: locating a facilitator to work with the Board; arranging for focus groups; developing and carrying out a customer survey; and holding a strategic planning retreat. Membership The Membership committee presented a proposal encouraging increased use of member labor in the store, along with recommendations on how to achieve this. Different departments had been surveyed on their use of member labor. The committee had also looked at how member labor is covered in the Coop's orientation for new members. It was noted that punitive measures against members who don't complete their hours were not helpful in promoting and maintaining member labor. The possibility of greater follow-up with new members was recommended as a possibility Several Board members were concerned that some measures intended to increase member labor (such as staff bonuses) might have unintended consequences or budgetary impacts. It was agreed that the measure will be reconsidered by the Membership committee and brought back to the Board. The committee invited comment from Board members for consideration. Management Team The management of the Coop is transitioning to a cooperative system that has been under discussion for several months. The Management Team responsible for Coop operations will be comprised of the department heads and an Operations Administration Coordinator, a new position. This management system supercedes the General Manager system. The Board formally approved this new system. The team is composed of the Operations Administration Coordinator, the HABA Manager, the Produce Manager, the Grocery Manager, the Bulk Manager, the POS Administrator, the Membership Coordinator, the Deli Manager, the Cheese-&-Specialty Manager, the Front-End Manager, the Finance Manager, and the Human Resources Coordinator. The Board approved the Operations Administration Coordinator job description. Board and Management Team members will attend an all-staff meeting to inform the staff of the ongoing reconsideration of and changes to the management system. Input from staff will be sought. Reallocation of space There was discussion of the plan to replace the children's space at the front of the store with a cash office. It was pointed out that that space might be used for Coop information and tabling and, alternately, that there had not been discussion of the change with Coop parents. In response, it was noted that the current cash office had become very cramped and that a new space was definitely needed. It was pointed out some staff have felt obligated to watch children in the play space, even though this is not their job. It was noted that the requirement that parents or guardians watch their children is not well enforced. Some staff have questioned the need for a children's play area at the present time. Some Board members mentioned the possibility of providing child care. It was decided that the decision to eliminate the children's space, made by the Management Team, was annulled and that the discussion of the issue would be reopened at the staff level. IRA plan for staff The Interim General Manager recommended an employee IRA plan offered by Commonwealth Financial, which practices socially responsible investing. Under this plan, employees can invest up to $7,500 per year. The Coop would match the employee's contribution up to a maximum of 3% of the employee's salary. (The Coop's contribution will be tax deductible.) The Board approved offering this plan. An employee will need to be on staff for one year before beginning to invest. It is understood that the Board is not obligated to continue to offer the plan and can end this program, if necessary. Bylaws The Board agreed to reconstitute an ad hoc Governance committee to deal with remaining issues regarding the bylaws. (The Bylaws committee had dissolved itself after completing a revision of the bylaws, which has now been reviewed by the Coop's counsel.) The ad hoc committee will address any remaining issues before the bylaws are brought to a vote of the membership. February membership meeting The Board spent part of the meeting making arrangements for the February Special Membership Meeting on the Coop's budget. Executive session The Board met in executive session at the end of the meeting. Minutes Minutes of all meetings are available at the Coop. Minutes of the most recent meeting are posted on the bulletin board. Upcoming meetings Board meetings are scheduled for the following Wednesdays: March 26 and April 23. Meetings begin 6:30 pm, and are held at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany, 405 Washington Avenue. It is recommended that anyone planning to attend a meeting confirm the date, time and location. |
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